Archive for category sports

Wes Leonard - Fenville High School Basketball Player Died After Game Winning Shot

— A Fennville High School basketball player, Wes Leonard, died directly after he made the game-winning shot for his team in Michigan last night. After he made the lay-up for two points he collapsed on the court and was unresponsive. He was immediately rushed over to Holland Hospital but was pronounced dead 85 minutes later. Doctors have not yet determined the cause of death, however his collapse was caused by cardiac arrest. Leonard made the winning shot in overtime and in doing so kept his team’s record perfect for the season.

As the ambulance arrived to take Wes to the hospital, Fennville Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer said, “Obviously, in the midst of celebration, I think shocking is exactly the word. And certainly our deepest prayers are with Wes and his family.”

At the news that his friend Fennville High School basketball player, Wes Leonard, died, teammate Shane Bale told the Holland Sentinel, “It’s tough to take in.”

– Brandon Davies’ girlfriend is now emerging as the reason that the star forward of the Brigham Young University basketball team was suspended yesterday. Sources say he violated the BYU honor code by having sex with her. While the code doesn’t state specifically that students can’t engage in premarital sex, it states that they must “live a chaste and virtuous life.” Davies’ future as a pro basketball player is also up in the air as a result.

There are rumors that Brandon Davies’ girlfriend may be pregnant, but no one has confirmed this yet. While Davies was apologetic to his teammates for the situation and his actions, they hold no resentment towards him. One of his teammates, Charles Abouo, said, “Everyone makes mistakes in life. We are reaching out and trying to help him get through this.”

– The Anaheim Ducks finished their weekend with a 4-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers today, bringing to an end their undefeated road trip. Jonas Hiller had 12 saves in the game to make it 5 shutouts for the season. Bobby Ryan scored twice. Brandon McMilan and Teemu Selanne also scored.

The Ducks are now 32-21-4. The Oilers have lost their last three games and are now 16-32-8. Their last home win was on January 6th. Anaheim scored just 34 seconds into the first period, when Selanne’s shot got past Devan Dubnyk. The Oilers had many turnovers, one of which resulted in the second goal of the game for the Ducks at 15.24
in the second period. Dan Sexton grabbed the puck and sent it down the ice to McMillan to score. Just over a minute later, Ryan was able to put the puck in the net after another turnover. In the third period Ryan scored again, and Dubnyk was replaced in goal by Khabibulin.

This was the fourth and final match up between the two teams this season. The Oilers won the first game, and the Ducks took the last three.

– A World Cup snowboard cross competition has been canceled today in South Korea due to coaches and athletes noting that the course seemed too difficult and very dangerous. In snowboard cross, athletes race against one another down a narrow and winding path, making collisions common. The added risk of the treacherous course made both the snowboarders and their coaches uncomfortable.

The coach of the Canadian team, Drew Neilson said, “The turns were very tight, on a very steep pitch. With the speed involved, if there was an accident, there would be nowhere for anyone to go. … It’s a dangerous sport.”

Athletes remarked that the course at the Yongpyong ski resort in Pyeongchang was too steep on Sunday, and International Ski Federation and Korea Ski Association representatives called an emergency meeting with coaches yesterday evening. The event will be rescheduled at another venue.

A spokesman for the event, Ma Seung-woo, said “the athlete’s safety is the top priority.” He went on to say that this is an “unprecedented” example of concern leading to halting a competition.

An International Olympic Committee team is scheduled to visit Pyeongchang from Feb. 16-19 to inspect the city’s 3rd bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2018.

– Last night in San Jose, CA Herschel Walker won his second mixed martial arts fight in a televised event. The 48 year old beat his 26 year old opponent, Scott Carson, at 3:13 in the first round. After Walker knocked Carson down using a left hook, he continued to throw punches for the next two minutes, landing 40 of 58 thrown. Referee Dan Stell had to stop the fight to save Carson, declaring Walker the winner.

Walker said,”(My trainer) Javier Mendes told me I have to be on offense. Being a young MMA fighter I gotta control what I’m doing in the cage.”

Herschel Walker is best known for his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1982 and a 3 time All-American at the University of Georgia. In 1992, he qualified for the American bobsled team and got 7th place in the two man bobsled at the Olympics. He has been training in MMA in San Jose since January 2009.

– During the second day of play at the European Tour’s Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain, Miguel Jimenez showed signs of frustration by breaking his putter on top of his knee at the fifteenth hole. This forced him to use his wedge to putt for the rest of the round. Fortunately, this improved his play. He went on to make three birdies in a row. He ended his second round with 65, which leaves him in a three way tie for first place.

The tournament is the first of the season for the European Tour, and also a new event. It has the full support of the Bahrain Economic Development Board. It’s main sponsor is Volvo, who has over 20 years of experience in management and running of world class golf tournaments. The event was created in conjunction with The European Tour Tournament Committee, and has unique qualification criteria. Only winners of previous European Tour tourneys are eligible.

– Officials at NASCAR are thinking about altering its system of awarding points to racers in its three national series. The idea will be discussed with team owners, executives, and drivers over the next eight days. The decision is expected to be announced on January 26th.

While the Associated Press reported on this today, NASCAR Senior Vice President Steve O’Donnell tweeted, “No decisions yet. Still meeting with teams – many topics but topics have come from fan input.”

The new point system would provide 43 points to a race winner and then one point less to each place after that. Currently, winners get 185 points plus a five point bonus for leading a lap and an additional five point bonus for leading the most laps. The top two finishers in a race are separated by ten points, while second place through sixth place have five points between each. sitxth through 11th place have four points between each, and 11th through 43rd place have three points between them. If the new scoring system is adopted, the bonus point structure would have to be reformed as well.

– In a statement on Saturday, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Haroon Lorgat, said that despite ongoing work on several venues for the World Cup this year, plans are proceeding according to schedule. Organizers for the tournament have been speeding to get the grounds ready for the February 19-April 2 contest. This year it is jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Lorgat told media, “Five stadia are still to be completed but there are no alarm bells ringing and I’m sure they will be ready well before the World Cup.”

He also commented that a verdict on spot-fixing allegations against cricketers from Pakistan, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif, expected on February 5, will not shed bad light on the tournament.

He commented, “There’s some time between when the verdict is released on the fifth of February. We were keen to have it well before the start of the World Cup.”

A British newspaper has alleged that at last year’s competition the three players had accepted payoffs to deliver deliberate no-balls at pre-arranged times against England.

– J.C. Romero has been re-signed by the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2011-2012 season. His contract is only for one year, and is worth $1.35 million. Romero is 34, and has been with the club since 2007 as a left-handed relief pitcher. He has made 213 appearances with the Phillies.

His cumulative ERA is 2.60 and has kept opposing batters to a .192 average. He’s kept left-handers to just a .166 average. At 34 years old, his career record is 33-28, with a 4.08 ERA in his 628 total appearances. He has seven saves. He has played for Minnesota, Boston, and the Los Angeles Angels. Last season, he went 1-0 with three saves, and 3.68 ERA in the 60 games he pitched in for the Phils.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of American professional sports. Romero will join the already very strong bullpen of over 20 pitchers. Some of the more notable ones are Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, and Roy Oswalt.

– Rich Seubert, center for the New York Giants, was unable to walk off the field today after he got tangled up while blocking on the last day of regular season play in the NFL. After the play, he immediately signaled for trainers to assist him. He was carted off the field after his right leg had been stabilized, and did not return to play in the Giants win over the Redskins in Washington. He has been diagnosed with a dislocated kneecap.

Seubert, at 31 years old, is the longest-tenured Giant, having played for nine years with the team. This isn’t his first serious injury. He fractured his leg in October, 2003 and was forced to miss the rest of the ’03 season and the entirety of the next one as well. He also played the entire season in 2009 with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t had any problems with his shoulder since surgery in January.